In Seveneves, Stephenson addresses how to keep a planet calm when the end is near (he alludes to lots of couplings), he immerses us in the technical challenges of space flight (orbital mechanics are geeky cool), and he creates major conflict as well as haunting scenes of daring and loss.

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Welcome to the REIGN – a Readers’ Entry Into Great Narratives. Turn off the TV. Forget Fandango. Our weekly podcast will introduce you to sci-fi and fantasy literature and our thoughts on great genre picks.